Ladies&#39; girdles



H. M. HERBEN ER Sept. 15, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1959 6 4. FIG.

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INVENTOR HENRY M. HERBENER TM Wei-maul AT TORNE Y5.

Sept. 15, 1964 M. HERBENER LADIES GIRDLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 29, 1959 INVENTOR HENRY M. HERBENER ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 15, I964 H. M. HERBENER 8 LADIES GIRDLES Filed Dec. 29, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR HENRY M. HERBENER Bm Tmwwoo-ng, Mam W AT TOR NEYS.

Sept. 15, 1964 H. M. HERBENER LADIES GIRDLES v4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed D80. 29, 1959 FIG. I3.

51...... vv-uv l INVENTOR HENRY M. HERBENER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,148,681 LADHES GIRDLES Henry M. Herhener, 4% Remington Ava, Thomasville, Ga. Filed Dec. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 862,650 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-533) This invention relates to foundation garments and aims to provide superior ladies girdles of improved construction.

Ladies girdles are intended and designed to lend support to, and enhance the appearance of, the wearer by elastically encircling and confining the portion of her body that extends upward from a point below the hips to a point which is about even with the upper portion of the abdomen or even higher. They should fit snugly against the wearers body so that the outline of the girdle or its ends will not make a visible line or bulge in the dress of the wearer and they should not cause discomfort to the wearer.

The avoidance of a visible line or bulge presents a particular problem at the top of a girdle because such garments have a tendency to roll downward at the front as they are worn. This rolling tendency is due to the fact that, when the wearer stands in an erect position, the distance from a horizontal plane at the top of the girdle to a like plane at the bottom of the girdle is substantially the same at both the front and the rear of the garment. However, when the wearer stoops or sits -or leans forward, the distance from the bottom to the top of the girdle at its rear is increased while the distance from the bottom to the top at the front is decreased. In conventional girdles, any tendency of the front to ride upward through this action is resisted by the connection, afforded by the garters, between the bottom of the girdle and the stockings of the wearer. The result is that the top front of the girdle tends to ride downwardly on the wearers body and to roll. A further diificulty that is encountered when the wearer of a girdle bends forward at the waist is that a crease is formed and as the fabric of the garment is then placed under additional circumferential tension, it tends to dig into such a crease causing acute discomfort to the wearer.

Various expedients have been resorted to to overcome the tendency of girdles to ride downwardly and roll at the top, and attempts have also been made to prevent the fabric of which a girdle is constructed from digging into thebody of the wearer at the waist when she bends forward. Such attempts have included the provision, along the front of the girdle, of vertical stays of varying degrees of stiffness; but when such stays have been stiff enough to prevent the fabric of the garment from digging into an abdominal crease as the wearer bends forward the ends of those stays jab against the body.

I have discovered that it is possible to overcome the difiiculties referred to above through the use of a single control member which, for the first time, provides a girdle that gives the desired support and improvement in the appearance of the wearer and is also comfortable. This is accomplished in accordance with my invention by incorporating in the front of the girdle a flat control member that is adapted to urge the top front of the girdle upwardly and counteract its tendency to roll and, at the same time, to provide a shield that slides over the surface of the abdomen instead of jabbing into the wearer. Such a control member comprises a frame with a scalloped upper end, a rounded lower end and outwardly bowed legs extending over the abdomen to a point below the waistline and resiliently connecting the frame ends so that they can be moved toward each other. A loop extends downwardly from the upper end of the frame for sliding "Ice movement between the legs of the frame when its upper end is moved toward its lower end as the wearer bends forward.

It is a particular feature of my invention that the control member, which is made of wire, is contained in a pocket in the girdle in which it is self-centering and from which it may be readily removed. Thus, when the girdle is to be laundered, the wire control member may be separated therefrom if desired and it can be easily reinserted in the pocket therefor where it will resume the appropriate position to perform the functions intended for it.

A specific embodiment of my invention in the form that I now prefer is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of my new girdle;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of the control member of the girdle illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the girdle illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the portion thereof containing the pocket for the control member;

FIG. 4 is a section along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section along the lines 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of a girdle provided with a modified form of control member;

FIG. 7 is a section along the lines 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a girdle illustrating a modified pocket construction;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a girdle illustrating a further modification of the pocket construction;

FIG. 10 is an elevation of a modified form of control member;

FIG. 10A is an elevation of the blank from which the upper clasps in the control member illustrated in FIG. 10 are formed;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a further modification of the pocket illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a girdle showing a further modification of the control member and a pocket therefor;

FIG. 12A is an elevation of the metal blank from which the upper clasp illustrated in FIG. 12 is formed;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary rear elevation illustrating a position assumed by the parts of the control member illustrated in FIG. 12 when the wearer bends at the waist; and

FIG. 14 is a section along the lines 14-14 of FIG. 12.

The girdle illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a generally tubular body-encircling portion 18 constructed of a fabric 'that is preferably elastic both horizontally and longitudinally. It is provided with a zipper 19 at one side and conventional garters 20 are attached to its lower edge. It may also be equipped at its sides and rear with a set of longitudinal stays such as the stay 21. A heart-shaped panel 23, which is preferably formed of an inelastic fabric, is attached to the body 18 at its front so that the top of the panel 23 coincides with the upper edge of the body 18. A rear panel 24, which is also preferably made of inelastic fabric, is stitched along its lower and side edges to the panel 23 to form a pocket 25 that is open at its upper end. A fabric flap 26 is stitched to the top and upper side edges of the panel 23 so that its lower edge overlaps the upper edge of panel 24 providing a closure for pocket 25. A flat control member 28 is provided for insertion in pocket 25.

The control member 28 is constructed of a resilient.

23, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, may be constructed of a single length of zigzag wire arranged in such form that it provides a frame having a scalloped upper end 29, a rounded lower end 30 and outwardly bowed legs 31, 31 connecting the ends 29 and 30 with each other. Extending downwardly from upper frame end 29 is a central loop 32 whose lower end is attached to the lower frame end 30 by a clamp 33. The sides 34, 34' of the loop 32 are bowed outwardly away from each other. This may be done conveniently by making a central bend in the wire in one direction and then making reverse bends in the wire intermediate the central bend and its ends so that those ends are brought back to the central bend to which they are attached by clamp 33. The sides 34, 34' are then bowed outwardly and fastened to each other at their upper ends by the clamp 33'.

The dimensions of pocket 25 and control member 28 are such that the pocket is wider than the control member and the control member is longer than the pocket. The consequence is that, when the control member 28 is in position in its pocket 25, the legs 31, 31 and the sides 34, 34' of loop 32 are under vertical compression so that they resiliently urge the upper edge of the girdle in an upward direction. When the upper edge of the girdle is pushed downward, as by the wearer bending forward at the waist, the legs 31, 31' and the sides 34, 34 of loop 32 are free to slide across the abdomen of the wearer; and when the wearer resumes an upright position, the legs 31, 31 and the sides 34, 34 of loop 32 may slide back to their initial position, as illustrated by the horizontal arrows in FIG. 2, urging the top of the girdle upward and counteracting its tendency to roll.

The control member 28 is prevented from tipping to one side or the other during the sliding motion of the legs 31, 31' and the loop 32 across the abdomen of the wearer by virtue of the fact that the rounded lower end 30 of frame 28 bears against a rounded lower wall in the pocket 25; the legs 31, 31 merge with the upper frame end 29 through rounded corners which fit against the top of heart-shaped pocket 25; and the indentation 36 at the top of that heart-shaped pockets enters the notch 37 between the scallops on the upper end 29 of frame 28. It will be noted'further that control member 28 can be readily withdrawn from pocket 25 through the opening provided between rear panel 24 and flap 26, and it can be easily replaced in pocket 25 through that opening so that engagement of the upper and lower ends of the control member 28 with the upper and lower walls of the heart-shaped pocket places the control member 28 centrally in the pocket 25.

The control member 38 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is designed for use by a lady who requires somewhat less abdominal support than is provided by the embodiment of my invention that is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is fiat and is constructed of a resilient zigzag wire and it includes a frame having a scalloped upper end 39, a rounded lower end 40, and legs, 41, 41 adapted to be bowed outwardly from each other to permit the upper end 39 to be pushed downwardly toward the lower end 40 when the wearer bends forward at the waist. However, the central loop 42 which extends downwardly from the upper frame end 39 terminates short of the lower frame end 40 and an auxiliary pocket 43 is provided therefor. The loop 42 is also constructed of zigzag wire but it may, if desired, be of a lighter weight than the wire forming the frame. For instance, I have found that spring-steel wire whose diameter is of the order of in. is heavy enough for loop 42. The control member 38 is contained in a heart-shaped pocket 4-5 located between a front panel 46 and a rear panel 47 of inelastic fabric. The auxiliary pocket 43 is formed by stitching the edges, and, if desired, the bottom, of a strip of fabric 48 to the rear panel 47. The upper end of loop 42 is closed by means of a clamp 50 which also secures the ends of the zigzag wire from which the frame 38 is formed.

In operation, the frame illustrated in FIG. 6 is held under vertical compression in its pocket whose width is such that, when it is subjected to further compressive action by the bending of the wearer, the legs 41, 41' can bow outwardly permitting the upper frame end 39 to be depressed and the loop 42 slides downwardly in its pocket 43 over the wearers abdomen. When the wearer resumes an erect position, the upper frame edge 39, the legs 41, 41' and the loop 42 return to the position illustrated in FIG. 6.

The modified form of control member 52 illustrated in FIG. 10 is designed to be worn by a lady who requires somewhat more abdominal support than is provided by the control member 28 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. It also is flat and is constructed of a resilient zigzag wire. It includes a frame having a scalloped upper end 53 and a rounded lower end 54 connected to each other by outwardly bowed legs 55, 55'. A central loop 56 projects downwardly from the scalloped upper frame edge 53 to the rounded lower frame edge 54 to which it is connected by means of clamp 57. An auxiliary loop 58 extends downwardly from the upper frame edge 53 between the sides 59, 59 of loop 56. It will be noted that upper frame end 53 is provided with three scallops which afford a wide area for engagement against the top of the girdle in which it is incorporated.

The control member 52 is designed to be held in a pocket (not shown) that normally maintains the frame under vertical compression and is of such width that the legs 55, 55 may bow outwardly as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 10 to permit further compression of the control member so that the upper frame edge 53 may be pushed down toward the lower frame edge 54 when the wearer bends at the waist. At the same time, the sides 59, 59 of loop 56 also bow outwardly and auxiliary loop 58 slides downwardly toward the lower frame end 54 across the abdomen of the wearer. When the wearer straightens up, the control member 52 returns to the position illustrated in FIG. 10.

The auxiliary loop 58 is securely connected with the upper ends of the sides 59, 59 of loop 56 by means of clamps 61, 61. Such clamps are formed from the flat sheet metal blank 62 illustrated in FIG. 10A. That blank 62 is folded along its median line around one side of auxiliary loop 58 and the adjacent side of loop 56 at their upper ends. Fingers 63, 63' are then folded over so that they occupy the notches provided therefor in the blank 62.

The control member 66 illustrated in FIGS. 12-14, like the control member 52 illustrated in FIG. 10, is designed for incorporation in a girdle intended for wear by a lady with a comparatively heavy figure. It also is flat and includes a frame that is constructed of a resilient zigzag wire. That frame has a scalloped upper edge 67, a rounded lower edge 68 and legs 69, 69 connecting those upper and lower edges with each other. A central loop '70 extends from the upper frame edge 67 downwardly between legs 69, 69 and has its lower ends connected with the lower frame edge 68 by means of a clamp 71. The sides 72, 72 are connected adjacent their upper ends by clamp 73.

In the control member 66 additional support and shielding for the abdomen are provided by a pair of stays 74, located between the sides 72, 72' of the central loop 70. The stays 74, 75 are preferably made of thin flat strips of spring steel provided with a coating of rustproof material such as celluloid. The stay 74 extends downwardly from the upper frame edge 67 and is securely held in position by clamp 73 constructed from the metal blank 73a illustrated in FIG. 12A. The blank 73a is folded along its median line and placed over the top of stay 74 and the upper ends of the sides 72, 72 of loop 70. The tabs 73b, 730 are then wrapped around. the

folded body of blank 73a to lock the parts in position. The stay 75 extends upwardly from the lower frame edge 68 and is held in position by the clamp 71.

The control member 66 is contained in a generally heart-shaped pocket 76 formed between a front panel '77, formed of inelastic fabric stitched along its edges to the elastic fabric 78 forming the body of the girdle, and a rear panel which consists of two sections, 79-79, of inelastic fabric. Each of the sections, 79-79, is stitched, around its outer side and the upper and lower portions of its inner side, to the front panel 77, leaving a longitudinal slit 80 between the adjacent edges of sections, 79-79, which provides an opening into the pocket 76 for the ready insertion and removal of control member 66. A tape 82 is stitched along its side edges to the front panel 77 to provide a pocket 83 for the lower end of stay 74 and a pocket 84 for the upper end of stay 75.

When the wearer of a girdle equipped with control member 76 is in an erect position, the relation of the several parts of that control member to each other is as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 14. The upper edge 67 of the fiat frame bears against the upper front edge of the girdle and the resilient legs 69, 69 urge the top of the girdle upward and counteract its tendency to roll. However, those legs 69, 69 and the edges 72 72' of the central loop 70 are adapted to bow outwardly from each other, respectively, when the top of the girdle is depressed through bending action of the wearer as illustrated in FIG. 13. At the same time the upper stay 74 slides downwardly over the abdomen and is prevented by the lower stay 75, which is positioned between upper stay 74 and the wearer, from jabbing into the wearers body.

The pocket construction illustrated in FIG. 8 includes a generally heart-shaped front panel 90 of inelastic fabric stitched along its edges to the elastic fabric comprising the body portion 91 of the girdle. A rear panel 92 which is also generally heart-shaped is stitched around its edge to the front panel 90. Access to the interior of the pocket between the panels 90 and 92 is provided through a vertical slit 93 in the rear panel 92. The panel illustrated in FIG. 9 is of a like construction, including front panel 90 attached to body portion 91, except that the rear panel 92 is attached to the front panel 90 by the separated lines of stitching 94 and 95 providing a vertical opening at either side of the pocket in the gaps between the lines of stitching 94 and 95, permitting insertion of the control member as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows a pocket which, like that illustrated in FIG. 3, contains a front panel 23 of inelastic fabric stitched to the elastic fabric comprising the body portion 18 of the girdle. It also includes a rear panel 24 whose upper end terminates below the top of the front panel 23' to provide a mouth for the pocket formed between those two panels. This mouth is closed by a pair of overlapping transverse sections 96, 96 that extend diagonally across the upper corners of the heart-shaped pocket. These sections 96, 96' normally lie flat against the face of the rear panel 24 but they can be readily displaced sufiiciently to permit access to the pocket whose mouth they normally cover.

It will be noted that in each of the modifications of the control member embodying my invention that I have described the resilient outwardly bowed legs not only function to urge the top front of the girdle upward, counteracting its tendency to roll, but they also cooperate with the central loop to flatten the stomach of the wearer when such wearer is in an erect position and to distribute across the abdomen of the wearer pressures to which such wearer is subjected when she bends forward at the waist. Furthermore, it will be understood that the terms that I have used in describing the specific embodiment of my invention that is illustrated in the drawings are terms of description and not of limitation, and various modifications can be made in such specific embodiment without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ladys girdle comprising a flexible body-encircling portion including a front having a top which is depressed by movement of the body and has a tendency to roll, a generally heart-shaped pocket extending downwardly from the top of said girdle at its front, and a flat control member adapted to urge said top upwardly and counteract its tendency to roll and to shield the abdomen, comprising a frame with a scalloped upper end engaging the top of said heart-shaped pocket, a rounded lower end engaging the bottom of said heart-shaped pocket and outwardly bowed legs resiliently connecting said frame ends, the dimensions of said pocket being such that said frame is under vertical compression and said legs are permitted to bow outwardly away from each other when the frame ends are moved toward each other.

2. A ladys girdle comprising a flexible body-encircling portion including a front having a top which is depressed by movement of the body and has a tendency to roll, a generally heart-shaped pocket extending downwardly from the top of said girdle at its front and having an open mouth, and a flat removable control member adapted to urge said top upwardly and counteract its tendency to roll and to shield the abdomen, comprising a frame with a scalloped upper end engaging the top of said heart-shaped pocket, a rounded lower end engaging the bottom of said heart-shaped pocket and outwardly bowed legs resiliently connecting said frame ends, the dimensions of said pocket being such that said frame is under vertical compression and said legs are permitted to bow outwardly away from each other when the frame ends are moved toward each other.

3. A ladys girdle comprising a flexible body-encircling portion including a front having a top which is depressed by movement of the body and has a tendency to roll, a generally heart-shaped pocket extending downwardly from the top of said girdle at its front provided with a mouth and a flap adapted to close said mouth, and a flat removable control member adapted to urge said top upwardly and counteract its tendency to roll and to shield the abdomen, comprising a frame with a scalloped upper end engaging the top of said heart-shaped pocket, a rounded lower end engaging the bottom of said heart-shaped pocket and outwardly bowed legs resiliently connecting said frame ends, the dimensions of said pocket being such that said frame is under vertical compression and said legs are permitted to bow outwardly away from each other when the frame ends are moved toward each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,489,388 Rubin Nov. 29, 1949 2,644,946 Menz et al. July 14, 1953 2,900,981 Herbener Aug. 25, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 506,407 Belgium Oct. 31, 1951 1,016,730 France Sept. 3, 1952.

1,099,754 France Mar. 23, 1955 

1. A LADY''S GIRDLE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE BODY-ENCIRCLING PORTION INCLUDING A FRONT HAVING A TOP WHICH IS DEPRESSED BY MOVEMENT OF THE BODY AND HAS A TENDENCY TO ROLL, A GENERALLY HEART-SHAPED POCKET EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP OF SAID GIRDLE AT ITS FRONT, AND A FLAT CONTROL MEMBER ADAPTED TO URGE SAID TOP UPWARDLY AND COUNTERACT ITS TENDENCY TO ROLL AND TO SHIELD THE ABDOMEN, COMPRISING A FRAME WITH A SCALLOPED UPPER END ENGAGING THE TOP OF SAID HEART-SHAPED POCKET, A ROUNDED LOWER END 